The Triumph of Caesar, Steven Saylor
The Triumph of Caesar, Steven Saylor
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The Triumph of Caesar
A Novel of Ancient Rome

Author: Steven Saylor

Narrator: Geoffrey Howard

Unabridged: 8 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/03/2009

Synopsis

The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion: Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra, and Julius Caesar has returned to Rome. The city abounds with rumors that Caesar will be made king. Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of “finder,” but he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife. Troubled by prophecies of disaster and fearing for Caesar’s life, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, who was a close friend of Gordianus, has turned up murdered on her doorstep. Calpurnia wants Gordianus to protect Caesar’s life before it is too late. Gordianus agrees to help, but only to find the murderer of his friend. Once an investigation is begun, however, there’s no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, or where it will end.

About Steven Saylor

Steven Saylor is a freelance writer, editor, and the author of novels set in ancient Rome. He studied history at the University of Texas at Austin. Saylor’s writing has appeared in the Threepenny Review, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He lives in Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

About Geoffrey Howard

Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) (1936–2014) was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles. His audiobook narrations were named “Audio Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly, and he won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Glen

Calpurnia hires Gordianus to find out who is conspiring to assassinate Caesar. It seems the first guy they hired, a friend of Gordianus's was murdered. Gordianus sets out to find out who killed his friend, and gets neck deep in one of the biggest conspiracies of all time. Pretty good really. The hist......more

Goodreads review by Liviu

Reread in 2018 on the release of the long awaited Ides Gordianus book Throne of Caesar - as there is no original read review from publication date (I have read all Gordianus books pretty much on publication and even earlier when i was lucky to get an arc), I will add only a few things - I remember qui......more

Goodreads review by Georgina

Hieronymus, Gordianus' Massilian friend, sums up what I think of The Triumph of Caesar (p.288): "You used to appreciate a puzzle, Gordianus--the more baffling, the better. What's become of your powers of deduction? Gone to Hades, along with your powers of observation, I suppose." Maybe it was the aut......more

Goodreads review by Mary

Gordianus is getting too old for this work. He keeps trying to retire but some prominent people just will not.leave him in peace. This book starts one year after the events of.the previous book The Judgement of Ceasar. Gordianus is back in Rome.with his beloved Bethesda and he is free to just sit ar......more

Goodreads review by Dale

The Triumph of Caesar is the 12th in the Gordianus series of novels set in ancient Rome. 'Gordianus the Finder' is a kind of private detective who started his career working for Cicero on a case of parricide. Now 30 years later Gordianus has acquired a house on the Palatine and is well known to the......more

Quotes

“The convincing backdrop of daily life in ancient Rome helps make this compelling whodunit a triumph.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Gordianus the Finder is a marvelous example of a credible early-history sleuth—sophisticated, cagey, and loosely attached to the shifting power structure of Rome in the time of Caesar…Fast-paced action, a deeply realized main character, and accessible history make this series first-rate on all fronts.” Booklist (starred review)

“Ralph Cosham performs this historical mystery in clear tones and subtle differentiation between the characters. Women are portrayed with light tones, while men’s voices vary according to their personality. In a world of intrigue and political unrest, Gordianus inserts himself into the lives of the upper classes, including Brutus, Cicero, Caesar, and Marc Antony. Cosham’s voice modulates with emotion while recounting Rome’s political intrigue.” AudioFile

“The tenth novel featuring Gordianus the Finder maintains the high standards of Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series…He [follows] Gordianus through the streets of Rome on the hunt for a killer who has murdered a friend…assisted by his daughter, Diana, a brilliant, plucky girl who sees clues he misses. The reader is treated to history and culture, including Caesar’s four triumphs: religion, divination, senatorial politics and conniving women. Narrator Ralph Cosham, a former British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor, has been a three-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award. He does not disappoint here in a full-voiced presentation. His female characterizations are superb. The novel is highly recommended.” Soundcommentary.com (starred review)

Awards

  • SoundCommentary.com’s The Best of the Best
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